A Matter of Life and Death
by Cheeky-eyes
Summary: If you believed Kenzan, then it was Shou's fault they were late in the first place. That's why he deserved it more. Shou of course, disagreed. "You do realise only one of you can have that, unless you want to share it."


**Title:** A Matter of Life or Death  
**Author:** cheeky_eyes  
**Rating:** G  
**Pairings****/Characters:** Shou, Juudai, Kenzan  
**Warnings:** None  
**Word Count:** 1307  
**Notes:** Prompted by week six's theme 'money' from the gx_contest on livejournal.

**xxx**

The Light was now everywhere on the Island, or very nearly so anyway. Its pressing influence could be felt wherever you went as a constant reminder of the new order of things unless you were in the Osiris Dorm or Tome-san's shop. The Osiris Dorm was safe because no one had bothered with it yet (or could) and Tome-san's shop because she was indignant at the very thought of someone controlling _her_ domain let alone actually allowing anyone to do it. That's not to say that the Society didn't try to convert her and her shop, she just refused to listen or duel them and that was that.

So of course, they avoided her shop when they could; their Master would supply them with whatever they needed without the fuss of the pesky shop owner far quicker than the normal way anyway. Naturally the remaining students would visit whenever they had the chance and had the benefit of practically no lines and the best items, which was a rare occurrence as the shop was the only one on the island so supplies were hard to come by usually.

"Hurry up Shou. They'll all be gone if you don't hurry up," Kenzan yelled from bridge back to the Osiris Dorm only slightly out of breath despite sprinting full pace. Juudai, who just caught up to him laughed as Shou's replied could barely be heard.

"Well maybe if you hadn't taken off so fast," Shou muttered as he tried to catch up to the other two. He wasn't really far behind, but Kenzan would make a big deal of it. Once he made it to the bridge Juudai set off at a more sedate pace at once as Shou glared at Kenzan as he caught his breath; the latter returned the glare with full force. Juudai turned back after a moment when he realised that he was alone and sweatdropped at the sight.

"Who's going to be late now?" he cried as he took off again, breaking the silence and jerking the other two into action as he started running foolishly up the hill. Behind him the other two cried out and attempted to catch up with him (and succeeding in Kenzan's case).

Five minutes later they burst into Tome-san's shop, as said lady greeted them with delight.

"Ah Juudai, Shou," she started with a smile as the three raced up to the counter, ending in a cry of delight from Juudai, a startled exclamation from Tome-san and growls from Kenzan and Shou as Juudai pounced on one pack and the other two reached the other one at the same time.

While it wasn't the mad rush it had been in the past today was the day that the Island received new cards and there was still a great demand for them. The Society felt like they didn't need any and were rather haughty about it when ever they could be, (Kenzan had decided that if he had to hear Manjoume crow or harp on about the Light and how it benefited him in many ways he was going to snap him, damn the consequences.) And while the count of uninfluenced students diminished more and more every day there was still enough interest in the new cards that it was better to get to the shop sooner rather than later as while the cards maybe in surplus, there were only so many good ones and packs to go around.

And, as Kenzan believed, thanks to Shou's snail pace there were only two really good packs left by the time they arrived, and Juudai had claimed one already while they were left to fight over the second. It was obvious that Juudai was going to be no help at all, as he merely grinned at them as they engaged in a silent battle each tugging at the pack. No one said anything for almost a minute before Juudai broke the silence, half impatient and half really amused.

"You do realise only one of you can have that, unless you want to share it," he said with a grin, knowing that neither would consent to share. As predicted Shou shook his head as Kenzan muttered 'no way.'

"I don't know about you Shou but I want all or nothing!" he said enthusiastically as Shou nodded once again. Kenzan continued.

"Of course I should have it because it's your fault we're late!" He nodded at the end of this. Shou glared at him.

"Yeah well if you hadn't wanted to save the game we would have left earlier! Besides, I think I deserve it more than you because I'm older," Shou replied a little petulantly, making it clear from the onset that this wasn't going to be a serious battle. Or it was, just a really immature one.

"Well I think that in your old age you should let someone younger and better looking have it," Kenzan retorted almost instantly with the same childish note in his voice. "You know what they say, age before beauty." Juudai sighed as he jumped up on the counter. Soon enough they would bring him into it and then they'd get nowhere fast.

"Who said anything about you being better looking then me?" Shou spluttered. Kenzan grinned and held on tighter to the pack.

"Common sense and anyone with eyes that's who," he replied almost mockingly as Shou tried to pull the pack towards him. Tome-san shook her head as she went back into the store room in hopes of settling the argument with another pack. Juudai simply continued to watch. He fidgeted a bit as he readjusted himself on the bench.

"Well maybe we should let Aniki decide," Shou finally retorted as he caught sight of his friend's movement from the sidelines.

"He's more my Aniki then yours," Kenzan replied as if that 'fact' would decide it while tugging on the pack.

"That's not true!" Shou yelled back as he pulled it towards himself in response. "Besides, he's been my Aniki longer!"

At this point Juudai decided enough was enough and that it was time to interfere.

"You two could duel for it, wouldn't that be fitting?" he interjected as nonchalantly as he could, which wasn't very but he did try his best. Still caught in the moment two dramatic replies came.

"Of course, bring it on!" Shou half yelled as Kenzan yelled "You're on!" There was a moment's pause as they adjusted their Duel Disks and activated them.

"I'm going to go first!"Kenzan said as Shou pouted.

"No, I want to go first!" he argued.

"Well I think I should!" Kenzan replied forcefully.

Juudai sighed as Tome-san re-entered the room, minus a pack and a little shocked that they were still going at it.

"What's the problem now?" she asked slightly baffled once she realised that a new fight was going on. Juudai grinned.

"They can't decide who gets the first turn," he said with a grin as Tome-san considered that for a moment while the other two continued to argue in the background.

"Can't they just toss a coin?" she asked as Juudai shook his head as the argument behind him started to repeat itself.

"But then they won't be able to decide who gets heads and who gets tails," he said with an air of repetition. Evidently this had happened before.

"Can't you pick?" she pointed out as he reached into his pocket for a coin. Before addressing Kenzan and Shou he answered Tome-san.

"I could, but where's the fun in that? OI! Kenzan, you're heads and Shou is tails," he said as he threw the coin in the air and once it had landed with a thud he made a big production of finding out the winner.

"And Shou goes first," he finally announced, still grinning, the pack now forgotten.

"Duel!"


End file.
